Pretoria – Charlie the elephant has been freed and taken to a private reserve in Limpopo after three decades in a zoo, the EMS Foundation said on Tuesday.
“After a nail-biting four-hour trip towards freedom,” the EMS Foundation said it was “thrilled to announce that Elephant Charlie has arrived at his new home at the Shambala Private Reserve in Limpopo”.
The reserve covers almost 10 000 hectares under the watchful guardianship of the picturesque, malaria-free Waterberg mountains, and the magnificent African bushveld is home to a wide variety of remarkable flora and fauna.
The stated mission of the EMS Foundation is to advance and protect the rights and general welfare of wild animals, children, elderly persons, and other vulnerable groups in South Africa and Africa.
Charlie, aged 42, was the last elephant in South Africa’s only national zoo, and the first to be released back into nature.
“We have also been informed that the zoo’s elephant ‘exhibit’ will be permanently closed,” said the EMS Foundation.
“This historic event is a result of years of negotiation with the South African government.”
The EMS Foundation said through its “Towards Freedom Programme” and the Pro Elephant Network they provided scientific evidence to the government that elephants suffer in zoos and that they do not belong in captivity.
Charlie has been in captivity for 40 years. He was captured from his family in Hwange, Zimbabwe when he was only approximately two years old.
He was sold to Boswell Wilkie Circus in South Africa and used in the circus to perform tricks.
In 2001 Charlie was moved to the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria, South Africa.
The EMS Foundation said it “would like to express appreciation to all the government officials concerned and to Barbara Creecy, the former Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, and to Deputy Minister Narend Singh for their unwavering support of this project and for putting Charlie’s interests first”.
EMS Foundation added: “We also thank Four Paws International for providing the highly skilled and dedicated international veterinary and elephant welfare team, without whom this project would not have been possible.
“Our deep appreciation is also extended to WeWild Africa for their amazing and vital support and logistical help.”
The EMS Foundation recalled that in the zoo Charlie watched three of his friends die prematurely.
He also lost his daughter when she was less than a month old.
“We hope that his rebirth onto his new land and new life will go some way to healing his wounds,” said the EMS Foundation.
“Going forward, the EMS Foundation, Shambala, and our partnering veterinary and behavioural experts will be closely monitoring and supporting Charlie.
“Our Dream is that at his own pace, Charlie will learn to be the elephant he was always meant to be, and that soon, he will meet up and integrate into the existing elephant community on Shambala.”
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